In Saussure's semiotics, which two elements constitute the sign?

• A. Signifier
• B. Signified
• C. Sign
• D. Signifier and Signified

Answer: (D)

In Saussure’s view, a linguistic sign is a two-part unit that links a form with a concept. The signifier is the form you can hear or see—the sound pattern of a spoken word or the written letters. The signified is the concept or idea that the form evokes in the mind. Together they create the sign. Neither part alone carries the full meaning—the signifier needs the signified to convey a concept, and the signified needs a form to be expressed. The sign as a whole is the fusion of these two elements, a mental linkage that is conventional within a language. For example, the sign for the concept of a tree combines the signifier (the word’s sound or written form) with the signified (the concept of a tree).